Former FBI Director James Comey, a man once at the center of federal law enforcement under Barack Obama and briefly under President Donald Trump, lashed out at the bureau’s current leadership for reopening several politically sensitive investigations—and for doing so transparently.

In an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, Comey took pointed aim at current Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino, questioning both his qualifications and his decision to announce case reopenings on the social media platform X.

“It’s a little confusing to me, honestly,” Comey said. “I’m sure it’s a huge adjustment to go from being a podcaster to being the deputy director of the FBI, but I don’t understand this tweet.”

The tweet in question detailed Bongino’s commitment to reinvestigate three high-profile, unresolved cases from the Biden era:

• The 2023 cocaine discovery inside the White House,
• The leak of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, and
• The 2021 pipe bombs planted outside the RNC and DNC headquarters the night before the January 6 Capitol riot.

Bongino emphasized transparency and public engagement, stating that he receives weekly updates on these cases and encouraged citizens with credible tips to contact the FBI directly.

But for Comey, the openness was too much.

“The FBI never closes such a thing,” Comey said of the pipe bomb investigation, implying that Bongino’s language was redundant or performative. “So I guess it means they’re going to focus on it more.”

When asked about the Dobbs leak investigation, Comey was dismissive of the FBI’s renewed involvement.

“I don’t know what the FBI’s role is there,” he said, referring to the 2023 Supreme Court report that failed to identify the leaker.

As for the cocaine incident that rocked the Biden White House, Comey quipped:

“I thought the Secret Service investigated that. So I don’t follow it and understand it.”

His remarks come just weeks after he was questioned by the Secret Service for an Instagram post perceived as a threat to President Trump—a context that raises questions about the timing of his media blitz.

While Comey downplayed the significance of Bongino’s public statements, others see his remarks as a bitter response to the FBI’s course correction under President Trump. After being fired by Trump in 2017 for misconduct and presiding over some of the most politically charged investigations in modern history, Comey has remained a divisive figure.

He closed his CNN appearance by expressing open distrust in the current FBI leadership team.

“Nothing in their life or their career gives me confidence that they know anything about leading an organization like that,” he said of Bongino and FBI Director Kash Patel.

Ironically, Comey’s own tenure is stained by multiple IG investigations, mishandled FISA warrants, and a lack of accountability that contributed to widespread distrust in the FBI during and after the Trump-Russia hoax.

He did, however, acknowledge the competence of lower-level agents still serving within the bureau, saying:

“I hope the career people are able to support the director and the deputy director.”

But that praise was quickly undercut by his broader swipe:

“Let the people who know what they’re doing give you advice, and listen to them.”

Bongino and Patel have taken a decidedly different tone in their leadership, opting for transparency over secrecy and restoring trust through results—not rhetoric. By contrast, Comey’s own preference for backroom briefings and opaque internal reports defined a much-criticized era of politicized law enforcement.

Bongino’s call for public input and weekly updates on long-dormant cases is precisely the kind of sunlight that many Americans believe has been missing from federal agencies for years.

As the new FBI leadership continues to investigate unresolved scandals from the Biden era, it’s clear that transparency is making some former officials uncomfortable—and that may be the best sign yet that change is finally underway.